A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to accessing a network, and in particular to apparatus and methods for accessing of a network using a variety of types of apparatus, such as a set top box for a television or a computer. The present invention also captures session information in a centralized location during accessing, thus allowing a user integrated access to the network across multiple sessions.
B. Description of the Prior Art
The Internet, and in particular the World Wide Web, is changing many aspects of technology. Each day there is more content and different types of content being made available on the Web. There is also a constant development of technologies to either retrieve content from the Web or provide or push content onto the Web. There are, however, many types of content retrieving and pushing devices. This creates constraints on the operations which may be carried out by Web users.
Numerous technical approaches have been proposed for solving this problem. For example, several television manufacturers are planning to integrate Internet access directly into the television; and computer manufactures are looking to integrate television capabilities directly into the home computer. But even these attempts at integration fail to provide a simple and elegant solution for providing Internet access. These attempts require purchase of new Internet-ready devices in which several different, expensive, components are integrated together into one unit.
Some points of access, such as a set top box (STB) or telephone screenphone, might be managed directly by one entity. Others points of access, such as a Web session initiated in a work environment or from a hotel room might be managed by a totally different entity.
Adding to the problem of multiple points of access is the proliferation of Web access technologies. Each access device has different strengths and weaknesses. For example, a computer is most suitable for viewing Web sites with a high text content. Web sites with a high motion video or sound content, however, are best visited from an entertainment console. A Web site that provides telephone directory services might be best visited from a screen phone.
It thus would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods which allow more flexible ways of accessing networks, particularly the Web.